Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Ortiz: ‘It’s not a good feeling’

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is not putting on a happy face. Being shut down from baseball activities with three weeks before Opening Day is not his idea of a good time.

But the DH knows that his long-term outlook for 2013 is more important than a now unrealistic goal of trying to be ready for the first game.

“I’m going to be back as soon as I’m good to go,” Ortiz said. “Right now, I’m just going to try to work on getting the inflammation out of there and it will take a little bit of time.”

Everyone wants to play on Opening Day, but that’s not happening for Number 34. Not this year.

“Of course. Everybody wants to be there for Opening Day, but it is what it is,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz wasn’t surprised that the MRI revealed inflammation in his heels, instead of the Achilles tendon he injured last July. “I know it wasn’t the Achilles. We have an MRI in December and my Achilles looked pretty good. We have an MRI right now and my Achilles is not the issue. It’s just inflammation right behind it. We’re going to work on that now,” said Ortiz.

However, Ortiz did admit there is some peace of mind to getting the reading from the MRI. “Yeah, I knew it was something, it was not normal. I was getting pain four or five hours after I was finished with my workout and I know something wasn’t right. We had that communication between me and the doctors, the trainers. They agree with getting an MRI just to see what was going on. It’s not anything crazy, thanks God. But it’s going to take a couple of weeks to get fixed.”

Ortiz did not get a shot, but he is taking anti-inflammatories. “Yeah, we started that up now after we saw the MRI, they started giving me some anti-inflammatories.”

At a time of spring when the other players are starting to ramp up for Opening Day, Ortiz will work under a modified time-table. “Yeah, it’s not a good feeling. I’ve been working really hard this offseason just to make sure I’m good to go for the season. It’s happened. It’s not me being me. I know you guys have noticed that. Like I said, it is what it is and things happen for a reason, right? The one thing that we’re really working on is that when I’m back, I’m back. It’s not just coming back for a couple of weeks and then going back and doing the same thing. They’re trying to fix the whole thing. That way when I get back in the lineup, it’s going to be there, and be there for the season.”

This injury for Ortiz has lingered in some form or fashion since July 16, 2012. “Well, we’re humans. Nobody wants to be injured. Me, I was going 120 percent this offseason working with this injury and the good news is it had nothing to do with my Achilles like it used to. That made me happy at least, knowing that my Achilles is doing fine.”

But perhaps the inflammation shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

“It’s a process where when you’re going at it, you pretty much use everything. It’s not like you can get picky with the things you want to do. Not being formally doing things for like six, seven months, it’s like starting all over. It happens.

Ortiz is clearly dejected that he won’t start the season on time.

“Well, Opening Day was my goal. You guys heard me talking about it when I first got here. I was feeling good and pushing things the way I was being told. Right now, Opening Day seems like it’s not the case. The case is get me healthy for five or five and a half good months. That’s what we’re looking for now.”

If the Red Sox are to be the team they want to be this season, Ortiz’s injury — particularly if it’s short term — shouldn’t derail them too much.

“We have a good team,” Ortiz said. “We have good players. We’ve got some good players. I’ve been talking to a lot of them, and the one thing I keep on telling them is just try to do what you do at your best. Don’t try to do more than that. You’re going to bump into some tough times. Just learn how to deal with it, and everything will be taken care of.”

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David Ortiz, might have a condition related to being a Diabetic.
There are some situations when his burning of the feet have been associated with this problems and leads us to concerns of his health. Ohters have learned to live with this and played sports fot years. Don’t forget the African American Tennis player Arthur Ashe.

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